Consume more yoghurt to decrease your diabetes risk

Do you eat enough yoghurt? And is it the right kind? The University of Cambridge has recently found that increasing your intake of low-fat yoghurt can decrease your risk of developing type-2 diabetes by up to 28%.

The study found that a higher consumption of yoghurt in contrast to no consumption at all had a significant reduction in the instance of developing diabetes.

Professor Peter Clifton, Head of the Nutritional Interventions Laboratory at Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute says that several studies analysing the effects of dairy and type-2 diabetes and all results have shown “protection from various forms of dairy, including yoghurt.”

The reason for the connection between the two has not yet been identified however Professor Lesley Campbell, the Director of Diabetes Services at St Vincent’s Hospital believes that the consumption of beneficial microbiota could be the key to the total prevention of type-2 diabetes, “This is not a proof of causation but it could make one hypothesise about the possibility of beneficial microbiota playing a part.”

According to Diabetes Australia, 280 Australians develop diabetes every day and it is currently the fastest growing chronic condition in Australia. Ageing is a significant risk factor in developing diabetes along with lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise and alcohol consumption, so this is an incredibly important breakthrough for older people.

Despite the link between yoghurt consumption and risk reduction, there has been no further research to identify the possible relationship between an increased yoghurt consumption and management of type-2 diabetes.

Do you eat yoghurt? What kind and how often?